


Danganronpa: Resurrection Hope

by jaybirb



Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: as in it happens after dr2 but ignores dr3 canon, this is kinda an au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-07 14:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7719118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaybirb/pseuds/jaybirb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Neo World Program devolved into another massacre of Hope's Peak students, the Future Foundation was even more set on eliminating the surviving Remnants of Despair and arresting Makoto Naegi. But determined to atone for his sins as Izuru Kamukura and to make amends for the despair they created, Hajime Hinata and his friends propose a new plan to restore hope to Japan and the world at large. (NOTE: This story is on indefinite hiatus due to lack of inspiration.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue-To Make Amends

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! So this is a collab work, but my coauthor prefers FF.net over Ao3. If you wanna check her out, her username is Ouka-Noir! That said, if there's a noticeable difference between how the chapters are written, it's because we're alternating. I'll be taking care of Chapter 1, so expect that hopefully within the week. Most importantly, this fic disregards the events of the DR3 anime and is our own take on the events after the second game and might spoil the first two games as well as Another Episode, maybe. Enjoy!

Having faced despair head-on in the form of virtual Junko Enoshima and come out as the Ultimate Hope, Hajime Hinata should have been ready for anything now. He had never expected to feel so much hate in one room, but here he was standing before the heads of Future Foundation with a plea that would either save his life and those of his surviving friends or condemn them to death. While he couldn’t see their faces, he could feel the concern of his friends who stood behind him as the guns turned on them seemed even realer than before as tension rose.

Hajime glanced back to look over his friends: Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess, stood resolute and confident despite everything before her while Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, the Ultimate Gangster, acted as if the guns and tension were no big deal to him (which wasn’t so unrealistic seeing as he was the head of the largest yakuza in Japan) but Kazuichi Soda, the Ultimate Mechanic, eyed the guns warily and got a little teary-eyed as the chances of leaving with their lives grew slimmer and Akane Owari, the Ultimate Gymnast, slapped him on the shoulder and laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood. He smiled at the sight of his friends acting as they always had, acting as though the killing game had never happened. But the whole reason they were standing in the room was because the Game had happened and they, the Remnants of Despair, were the reason why it had resurfaced.

“Hajime Hinata,” a voice boomed from the far end of the conference table, “or should we refer to you as Izuru Kamukura?” The silver haired man leaned forward on his elbows and lowered his brows to glare at Hajime. He shivered under the man’s cold gaze and tried to calm his racing heart in order to respond. This was the former Ultimate Class President, Kyousuke Munakata, a man he had been warned about by Makoto Naegi when they had planned out the plea but he hadn’t been prepared for a man so full of hate.

“I would prefer Hajime Hinata, if you don’t mind,” Hajime announced, not just to Kyousuke but all of Future Foundation. Fight fire with fire, that was what Byakuya Togami had told him to do, don’t let them intimidate you. From their reactions, none of the branch leaders had expected such a comeback and glanced at Kyousuke expectantly. Instead of responding, the silver-haired man smirked and reclined in his chair so the leader of Future Foundation could speak. Hajime bit back a smile at the small win (don’t let them see your emotions, as Kyoko Kirigiri had told him) and turned to look at the head of the table.

The leader was an elderly man, as was to be expected, who wore an expression that appeared aged and wise and even a bit hopeful despite the dark times that loomed over them. This was a former headmaster of the now non-existent Hope’s Peak Academy, Kazuo Tengan, who had taken up the mantle of leader of Future Foundation after it was formed. According to Makoto, he strived for a world of peace and hope but did not believe that war was the path to it unlike some of the other branch leaders. He had helped Makoto to take the Remnants of Despair to Jabberwock Island in hopes of being rehabilitated, not knowing that a second killing game would take place and ten of the students would be comatose as a result. All the survivors from the first Game believed he would be sympathetic toward Hajime and agree to the plea, but there would be no guarantee.

The sound of a throat clearing drew Hajime back to the present and he met the eyes of Kazuo Tengan as he stood from his chair to look Hajime and his friends over. “I hope you do not mind that some guests will be listening in as well as us branch leaders.” Kazuo waved a hand around to the upper levels where a small group of teenagers leaned over the railings eagerly to hear what was happening. Hajime looked over the group, unsure of what to make of them, until he noticed an odd atmosphere that clung to them. Fear. They were afraid of them, the survivors of the second Game and the Remnants of Despair. Now he understood: these were the few students who had or would have attended Hope’s Peak but were forced to face the Tragedy head on and lose friends and family in the process. He recognized a few of them from a folder Kyoko had passed to him before the meeting that gave him the names of a handful of students who had agreed to work with him if the plea was approved. He felt a pang at the thought of causing them pain in his past life, but he couldn’t focus on that right now.

He lowered his eyes, only to be startled to see Kazuo watching his reaction. The old man was quiet as Hajime regained his composure then spoke again. “I’ll assume you know who our guests are, Mister Hinata, but I will reiterate it for those here who do not. These children are the survivors of the Tragedy, the future of Hope’s Peak Academy, who have agreed to work with Hajime Hinata should his plea be approved by the majority of branch leaders.” The room awoke with hushed words as the leaders spoke amongst themselves before returning to silence as the ex-headmaster continued. “Now, onto the plea presented to us.

“The plea consists of a plan to recreate hope and spread it throughout the world in a manner similar to that used by the Remnants of Despair during the Tragedy to spread despair. The students of the 77th class have volunteered to take charge of the program and work with the children to bring hope to them before spreading it to the world. As some of you know, some of the children have seen the cruel acts caused by despair and have lost loved ones to it as well as faced injury and psychological harm from it. Two subjects, named A and B for the sake of privacy are two examples: Subject A would have attended Hope’s Peak Academy’s 78th class but decided to drop out to make time for his sick mother. The Remnants of Despair burned down his house with his mother still inside, killing her. He turned to living in the streets and almost fell into despair had he not been found by Future Foundation and given the chance at therapy. He has since claimed that he would not have fallen into despair, but it is noted that he has seemingly not regained hope.” Kazuo paused to let his words sink in before continuing.

“Similarly, Subject B was captured by the Remnants of Despair and kept isolated for a year before escaping to the streets where she was hunted down by Monokumas relentlessly until Future Foundation found her. While evacuating via helicopter, she witnessed her sister being brutally murdered by the Monokumas. She received therapy for the trauma but has not yet made a full recovery. Even so, she has willingly decided to join the program should the plea be approved. This is used as evidence to prove that before the program can spread hope it must give hope back to its students,” he concluded. Kazuo set his papers down and glanced around at his fellow branch leaders. “Are there any questions regarding the plea?”

Silence remained until Chisa Yukizome raised her hand politely to speak. Kazuo smiled at the former Ultimate Housekeeper and motioned for her to speak. The pretty orange-haired woman stood from her seat as though she were a student in a classroom and cast a smile toward Hajime. “I would like to start by saying that I am for this plea and I believe that my students- excuse me, former students- would be perfect for the role,” she said cheerily. “I am, however, concerned as to where this program would take place. If it took place at a Future Foundation headquarters, there is the chance it could be attacked by Remnants of Despair but if it took place anywhere else we would not be able to monitor their progress.” With that, Miss Yukizome sat back in her seat and smiled at her peers despite the odd looks they gave her.

This was his chance to announce one of his conditions to the plea. “We, as the 77th class, would like to recommend Jabberwock island as the program’s base of operations,” Hajime declared. A laugh escaped from one of the seats, a loud and degrading laugh that made his insides crawl. He turned to meet the glare of the former Ultimate Boxer, Juzo Sakakura, as he reclined leisurely in his chair with his legs propped up on the conference table as if he owned it.

“Are you suggesting that we let a bunch of kids run around a dilapidated island and pray that they wind up spreading hope across the world rather than despair? In your dreams! If it was me, I’d just put the program in an underground facility and let Miss Yukizome teach the kiddies to hope again,” he said, all the while glaring at Hajime as if daring him to respond. Hajime forced himself to remain calm and not let the underlying insult get to him. He knew he would face resistance when he brought up Jabberwock Island, but he had to persist otherwise what was all of this planning worth.

He took a deep, calming breath and met Juzo’s gaze head on. The former Ultimate Boxer flinched slightly at being challenged but held the gaze. Hajime took his chance and began the next phase of his plan. “Perhaps, but we believe that with a little renovation and reconstruction, the Island would be a suitable paradise where the kids could live without fear of being attacked. I would like to remind the branch leaders that no one in Future Foundation even knew of the Island’s existence until Makoto Naegi told you all about it. That makes it the safest place for hope to be created and Future Foundation can monitor the progress via the surveillance cameras scattered around the island.”

“You mean that Future Foundation would have to spend the money, what little of it we have, to renovate an island for a plan that may or may not work. That is what you are suggesting, isn’t it?” Kyousuke asked lowly. He tapped a single finger against the file before him with an air of annoyance. “Is this just a ploy to get your island paradise remodeled, Hajime Hinata?”

Hajime was taken aback by the venom the man’s words held but stood resolute. “That isn’t what I’m suggesting. In order to give these kids hope, they have to be in the right environment; that was the whole reason we were on the island to begin with. It was a place where hope could grow.” He looked to Miaya Gekkogahara, the former Ultimate Therapist and one of the programmers in the Neo-World Program. The tiny girl just stared at him for a moment before typing onto her keyboard and making the monitor in front of her come to life with a white-and-pink bunny that he recognized all too well.

“That’s right-dechu!” Usami announced cheerily. “We programmers believed that a tropical paradise would be the best place for hope to spread amongst the 77th class; sun, fun and no need to run, that was our motto!”

An awkward silence filled the room as the “motto” set in before Hajime decided to speak again. “As you see, a paradise was the perfect environment for hope, which is why I ask that Future Foundation help to rebuild Jabberwock Island in order to make it suitable for the kids. We understand that money is tight, but we only need a few supplies to rebuild the facilities and clean the water so that it is livable again,” Hajime finished.

The room remained silent as he finished, the branch leaders exchanged unsure glances before turning their attention to Kazuo who stood from his seat slowly. “With that said I believe that it is time for the branch leaders to converse about the plea presented and vote. Until a decision has been reached, I would like to ask that those who are not branch leaders to please leave the room.” 

And with that, Hajime left his fate and that of his friends in the hands of the people who hated them.

Kazuichi had already begun bawling by the time they had exited the room, turning into a sopping mess on the sofa right before Hajime’s eyes. “It’s over, they are gonna turn it down and we are gonna die…” he trailed off as foam began to appear around the corner of his mouth and trailed down to his chin. His face was a mess and Hajime had a squint just to recognize him.

Akane quickly became annoyed at his chanting of “we are gonna die” that she grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him around with more strength than was probably necessary. “Get a hold of yourself, idiot! We aren’t gonna die, I guarantee it,” she announced all the while giving Kazuichi a bad case of whiplash. “You’ve gotta stay positive, positive!” Hajime was about to step forward to stop her when he noticed Makoto coming out of the room.

“You did pretty well in there,” Makoto said, holding his hand out to Hajime. The Ultimate Hopes clasped hands before Hajime turned to greet Byakuya who simply glared at him as per usual, except this time his glare seemed subdued. Makoto noticed this and asked, “Are you worried about Naō being used as evidence for the plea?”

The Ultimate Affluent Progeny visibly flinched and glared full force at the pair. “Of course not! She gave her consent to be part of this plea so I have nothing to be worried about.” Byakuya crossed his arms and looked away until his features slouched and he glanced warily at the two. “I am worried that she isn’t ready to be around others yet,” he admitted quietly. “Not to mention that some of them are already killers or Remnants of Despair, I’m still not sure if it was a good idea to let her decide on whether to participate or not.”

Naō Hoshino, or Subject B as she was referred to in the plea, was the newly titled Ultimate Empath who had been held captive by the Remnants of Despair during the first killing game. She had watched her sister die right before her eyes and subsequently lost her former title of Ultimate Twins that she had shared with her sister. From what Hajime knew, she was also a close acquaintance with Byakuya Togami. Even now, Hajime couldn’t help feeling sorry for the girl even though she had asked him (through Byakuya) not to.

“It will be fine, Byakuya, there are a bunch of good kids who have signed up for the program, including one who would have been our classmate,” Makoto assured. “I think his name was Mizuki Sōma.”

Mizuki Sōma, the Ultimate Catalyst, would have been part of the first killing game had his mother not fallen ill. He had been found by Future Foundation and was to be killed had Makoto not stepped in and suggested he take part in the Neo-World Program but declined. Mizuki insisted that he didn’t need therapy or a “cure” which had ultimately saved him from the second Game. They had gotten his consent to use him as evidence although he was probably regretting it now that he had heard how he had been used for their gain. In all honesty, Makoto and Hajime had hoped to use his talent as a catalyst to get the plea approved and they both admitted that they felt horrible about it when Kyoko had asked them if they were alright with it.

Fuyuhiko snorted when he caught sight of Hajime’s downcast face. “Don’t look so down, we're gonna win this thanks to that Sōma kid. You can thank him for it afterwards then apologize for using him and that girl like that.” His reassurements fell short as the reality of his words set in. They had used both Mizuki and Naō for their own gain in order to get the plea approved. What kind of people were they if they had to use those who had suffered the pain of the Remnants of Despair in order to spread hope across the globe? In a sense, they were using mental violence in order to create a world of peace. If Kazuo felt the same way, then they really were finished.

Before Hajime could ask Makoto to give his apologies to Mizuki and Naō, the doors opened and Kyousuke looked out at them with cold eyes. He hadn’t realized how much he had been dreading this moment but now that he was staring this moment in the face, he wasn’t so sure he could go through with it. Hajime looked to his friends only to see them looking at him expectantly. Even now, when they were on the split of life and death, they all held a spark of hope in their eyes. Hope that he would get them through this ordeal alright. They believed in the hope he had given them. That was all he needed to face Future Foundation.

Kyousuke met his gaze and smirked at the spark of hope that glinted in his eyes. “It’s time to hear the decision.” He stepped aside to let the group past. Makoto and Byakuya stepped through the doors first, glancing back only once to give Hajime a small confident smile, then Sonia and Akane made their way past with Kazuichi supported between them and gave him a pair of thumbs up with their luggage raising a fist to air bump Hajime. Fuyuhiko followed after them and gave him a calm look with his one good eye. “Whatever happens, you did all you could.” The yakuza turned and began through the doors only to pause and say, “You conquered despair. That's all that really matters in the end.”

As Fuyuhiko stepped into the room, Hajime couldn’t help being reminded of the class trials they had faced together not too long ago. Back then, all their lives had been at stake and now they found themselves in the same position. Live or die, that was the choice Monokuma- no, Junko Enoshima had forced upon them. Out of the sixteen he had come to know as his family only five had managed to live but the pain of those deaths always haunted them. _I don’t know if any of you can hear me, but there's a chance that we'll be seeing you guys again soon,_ he whispered to whatever watched over him and his friends. _But I think it may be longer than that._

Hajime lifted his chin and moved towards the door with his head held high with pride. They were going to do it; they would live and spread hope across the world in order to atone for their sins. He would do everything he could to make it up to all those who had died and those they had hurt to get to this point. _Mizuki, Naō, I swear that I will make this up to you. I will give you back your hope!_


	2. Chapter 1-Believe in Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a bit on the short side but it's mostly just to introduce the characters. The real fun is still a while off... Upupu...

Mizuki Sōma stared listlessly out the window of his cottage. The Future Foundation had agreed to Hajime’s plan, so the sixteen of them had boarded the ship to Jabberwock Island, where they were supposed to be trained for some sort of...something. The details had yet to be discussed. With a sigh, he headed to the island’s restaurant, where Hajime had planned a meeting after everyone settled in.

“Ah, Mizuki!” Hajime smiled at Mizuki after he had trudged up the stairs. “We’re just waiting on a few more people, then we’ll talk more about why all of you are here.” Mizuki gave a curt nod and leaned against the wall, leaving a reasonable distance between himself and everyone else. When all the inhabitants of the island had made their appearance, Hajime spoke again. “I know you all don’t know each other, so why don’t we make our introductions? The five of us can start. I’m Hajime Hinata. I was a part of Hope’s Peak Academy’s reserve course, so I don’t really have a talent…”

A brunette girl grinned beside him. “The name’s Akane Owari! I’m the Ultimate Gymnast!”

“My name is Sonia Nevermind,” said a blonde girl with a regal air. “I am the Ultimate Princess, from the kingdom of Novoselic. It is a pleasure to meet you all!”

Next to her, a boy with shark-like teeth gave a thumbs up. “Well said, Miss Sonia! I’m Kazuichi Soda, Ultimate Mechanic!”

The last of the five scoffed, rolling his eyes (or rather eye, as one was covered by an eye patch). “I’m Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Ultimate Gangster. I’m the head of Japan’s largest yakuza clan, but we should get along as long as you all stay out of trouble.”

Hajime turned to Mizuki with a smile. “How about we start with Mizuki?”

He hummed softly in response. “My name is Mizuki Sōma. I was scouted by the Academy as the Ultimate Catalyst.”

Beside him, a tall boy with dark hair gave a slight bow. “I am Daisuke Sakamoto. My title is Ultimate Butler. I hope to get along well with all of you.”

“I’m Tomoka Fujiwara, the Ultimate Chemist! Nice to meet you all!” cheered a blonde girl to the left of him.

“My name’s Akira Shimizu and I’m the Ultimate Troublemaker,” a brunette girl drawled with a grin.

The next boy smiled widely with a flourishing gesture. “The name’s Yosuke Matsuo. I’m the Ultimate Magician. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

A girl standing not far from Akira scanned the group with shifty eyes. “Kimiko Takei, Ultimate Thief.”

Closest to Mizuki was a girl with long, dark hair who had been preoccupied until then with a novel. “Ah, my name is Midori Nishiyama… I’m the Ultimate Masseuse.”

A muscular boy in the corner grunted, and Mizuki was surprised he hadn’t seen him before; his presence was large, yet it had gone unnoticed. “You may call me Hattori. I am known as the Ultimate Ninja.”

The next girl to speak appeared to be the youngest of them all. “I’m Naō Hoshino, the Ultimate Empath. It’s nice to meet all of you.” She gave a slight bow of respect then stepped back to let the boy next to her speak.

“I’m Yūgo Miyashita… The Ultimate Marksman.” The pale haired boy’s expression was pained as he revealed his title.

A stern-looking girl beside Daisuke gave a small smile and straightened her glasses. “My name is Rioko Nagasawa. I am the Ultimate Assistant.”

“I’m Etsuko Takano, the Ultimate Artist.” The next girl spoke softly and glanced around warily, obviously unsure of herself.

A tall boy with striking red hair stood from his chair, placing his hand over his heart as he spoke. “My name is Shitake Kinoko, the Ultimate Herbalist. If any of you should feel ill, please feel free to consult me.”

“Howdy, y’all!” Mizuki flinched at the sudden change in dialect as a freckled, pig-tailed girl bounced out of her seat with a toothy grin. “I’m Ann Oakley, the Ultimate Cowgirl!”

The next to introduce himself was a lean boy with a smug grin. “I’m the Ultimate Actor, Hiroin Souju. Perhaps you’ve seen me in movies?” He pushed back the hair that fell in his face and smiled as if he were posing for a photo shoot.

“Takuma Kimura, Ultimate Decorator.” Mizuki had to look around to find the speaker and was a bit taken aback to find a short dark-haired girl examining the wall décor with a keen interest.

Hajime nodded after introductions were completed and turned to address all sixteen of them. “Now then, you guys got to hear a little bit about why we gathered you before, but I wanted to talk about it some more. This island you’ve been brought to is Jabberwock Island, my friends and I were brought here to enter a virtual world in which we were supposed to regain hope. Some unexpected things happened, and some of us didn’t wake up… But Future Foundation has decided to allow us to prove we are no longer Remnants of despair, so we plan on preventing all of you from falling into despair as we once had.

“The idea is to restore your hope through a sort of class environment. We’ve decided to call it Resurrection Hope. The sixteen of you will learn to defend yourselves should you need to fight despair, but more importantly you’ll learn to believe in the future and bring hope back to the country, maybe even the world. Think of it as a team whose goal is to peacefully end the Tragedy and fix the damage despair has caused. If anyone has any questions, we’ll answer them to the best of our ability.” Hajime's smile never faltered as he spoke, but there was a glint in his eyes that said he expected someone to test his conviction.

Kimiko stared Hajime down, eyes narrowed. “Why should we do any of this? You’re in despair yourselves. We know all about the shit you guys pulled, so why should we trust you?”

"We had fallen victim to despair, yes, but the Neo World Program rehabilitated us, even if it didn’t work completely. It’s understandable that you don’t trust us, but all we want is for you all to believe the future and live on.”

“What if something happens again?” Mizuki asked softly. The room fell silent as the question they had all wondered was finally voiced. “If we’re to believe you won’t try anything, what will you do if something goes wrong?” 

Akane clenched her fists like she was going to fight him. “Like hell we’ll let that happen! If you morons try to kill each other, I’ll kill you myself!”

Tomoka let out a small yelp. “K-kill each other?”

“The hell are you talking about? Who’s gonna kill anyone?” Yosuke scoffed. “Isn’t the point of this to have ‘hope’?”

Sonia straightened up and spoke in a commanding tone. “Have no fear; so long as we are on this island, there will be no death! I will not have it!”

“Yeah! We won’t let it happen!” Kazuichi cheered.

“What’re a pretty princess and a grease monkey gonna do about it?” Kimiko grumbled.

Akira cracked her knuckles and rolled her eyes at the group. “These guys already went through shit, didn’t they? So we can trust them, can’t we? No one can make a louder riot than me, so I’ll keep you guys in line!”

Fuyuhiko pinched the bridge of his nose. “Stop fighting, you numbskulls. Get back to your cottages and sleep. We’ll start tomorrow.”

They all shuffled out, whispering and wondering about the Remnants of Despair and Resurrection Hope. Mizuki didn’t make a decision one way or another, but once he lay down in his bed, he felt a sense of unease. A plan to restore their hope on an island that could pass for a resort? A team that would end all the death and destruction that had raged for years? Nothing could be so simple, and no one could be prepared enough for what the future held in store.


	3. Chapter 2-Peace of an Ordinary Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay on this chapter! Ouka's been busy with college stuff and technical difficulties, but without further ado, here it is! I'll try not to leave you all hanging too long, because the real fun is soon to begin...

The feeling of the moon’s light forced Naō to open her eyes and sit up in defeat. For the past few hours, ever since Fuyuhiko had basically kicked the lot of them out of the restaurant, she had been tossing and turning in hopes of finding solace in sleep only to find it eluding her. She massaged her forehead with one hand in an attempt to rid herself of an oncoming headache before slipping out of bed and making for the outside world. It was past midnight and almost everyone else on the island was either asleep or minding their own business. While she did have the opportunity to tour the island while all the others were asleep, she chose to remain close to her hut.

She didn’t think much of how she looked when she settled herself on the edge of the pool and let her legs dangle in the water. The emotions she had felt back at the meet-and-greet pestered her like a gnat as she let her mind wander. Emotions of concern and uneasiness had been especially prominent by the end of the gathering, but there had been a lightness to it in the beginning. Perhaps the mention of the Killing Games had caused the emotions to darken so suddenly, but she had no way to make sure of it without having to experience the onslaught of emotion once again. “’I was blessed with a gift. It's a gift and a curse. It never ends,’” she muttered.

“A quote from the American musician Dan Fogelberg, if I’m not mistaken,” a voice announced from the shadows.

Naō visibly jumped and nearly fell into the water had it not been for her fingers’ instinct to cling to the perch beneath her. Her head whipped around to face the shadows, searching through her settling hair for who had spoken. It took her a moment, but she soon made out the outline of a tall muscular figure leaning against the outer wall of a hut. A sigh of relief escaped her at the sight of the darkly clad boy- or rather man, considering how old he was- and let herself relax. “I never would have thought a ninja would know an American musician, much less the lyrics to one of his songs,” she commented.

Hattori remained in the shadows but she could tell that he was slightly amused by her words by the faint vibration of emotions she felt from him. He turned his sharp gray eyes to meet her eyes, the gleam in them telling her that he expected her to flinch or look away. Instead, she held his gaze as his lack of emotion shrouded her in a veil of emptiness that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Although she may have imagined it, she could swear she saw him crack a smile. “I believe the better question would be why a Japanese born girl such as yourself would know an American musician despite never going outside of Japan,” he countered.

A silence fell over them at his logic fell short, but she decided to humor him with an answer. “For your information, Mister Hattori, I’m actually half European so it isn’t that odd. Especially when-“ Naō’s mouth snapped shut on its own, halting her words from being spoken aloud. _Especially when my sister loved American music._

He regarded her quietly as she struggled to get the words out. While she appreciated his consideration, she hated the feeling of helplessness as memories of the past, of Shirō, began to bubble to the surface. Eventually, her mouth began to obey her again but it didn’t speak what she had originally intended. “Have you ever lost someone and felt such emptiness from their death that you didn’t know how to function anymore?”

The normally stoic ninja erupted with resentment and despair so suddenly that Naō shuddered at the sudden arrival of such powerful emotions. Just as quickly as the emotions had appeared, they vanished back under a barrier of self-control. Hattori’s face was smooth and emotionless as he moved out of the shadows and into the moonlight where he stared down at her with a steady gaze. The Ultimate Ninja towered over her even more than usual making his presence even more pronounced than it had been before. To her shock, he knelt down near the water’s edge and cast his gaze to the smooth surface. “There was a time once, long ago, when I felt that way,” he admitted with no more than a whisper. “I would assume that you have felt that way as well, if you are asking such a thing. Or rather,” he glanced over at her as he continued, “you are still feeling that way.”

It was amazing how observant the man was and how little he managed to reveal about himself. He could tell, even without the gift she had, what she was feeling despite how well she had become at masking her pain. Naō didn’t respond aside from pulling her legs from the water and turning to meet the ninja head on. “You’d be surprised how few people actually realize that I feel anything, seeing as I rarely show my own emotions,” she giggled half-heartedly.

The ninja’s brows knitted together almost to the point of merging with faint wrinkles forming at middle. Without a word, he stood to his full height and turned his back on the girl. For a moment, it looked as though he would leave until he glanced at her over his shoulder. “Hiding one’s own feelings for the sakes of others is admirable, but also a painful burden to bear,” he whispered so quietly that Naō almost couldn’t make out his words. Then, he was gone.

Naō remained seated by the water’s edge for a few heartbeats before standing and retiring to her room. Tomorrow was going to be a big day, she could feel it.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had become the norm for Naō to awaken at the crack of dawn due to her upbringing with her grandfather being a butler, which also meant she was the only one awake or even conscious. Her walk to the hotel restaurant was surprisingly tranquil, the sun just glimpsing over the huts that were their temporary homes and the breeze off the ocean cool against one’s skin. It was truly a paradise, if she had ever seen one. Even so, a feeling of dread lurked in the pit of her stomach.

She decided against waiting for the others in the lobby and went straight to the restaurant. What she saw was an honest surprise.

“G’morning! Nice day, idin’t it?” Ann Oakley chirped from her seat. The golden haired girl was smiling a toothy grin that highlighted her shockingly blue eyes, making them appear even brighter than before. As she had been yesterday, the cowgirl was done up in overalls and a flannel shirt with a pair of heeled cowboy boots that rested on the chair next to her, where her signature hat also sat. Before the girl was a mountain of various dishes that Naō found herself hopelessly unable to depict with words, but the thought of how Ann hoped to eat so much was the first thing that came to mind.

Eventually, she regained her composure and met Ann’s smile with her own shy grin. “Good morning, Miss Ann. It is a really nice day today, I hope the sky remains clear throughout the day,” she replied politely.  


Ann stared at her, face screwing into an odd scowl. “No need for the ‘miss’, missy.” The toothy smile appeared again. “We aren’t that different, age wise, so ‘Ann’ is just fine.” The cowgirl tossed an arm over the back of her chair and turned to look Naō over. “Now then, you’re…uh… Naomi, right?” she asked hesitantly.

It took the next twenty minutes to correct the cowgirl and get the pronunciation correct, but even after their efforts she continued to pronounce it more like “Nay-O”. Eventually, Naō conceded defeat and left the girl to her breakfast. By that time, a few more ultimates had trickled into the restaurant. Hattori took up a position by the window where he could keep an eye out for any trouble; Etsuko was bent over a napkin with a pencil, scribbling furiously and muttering under her breath; Takuma stood as far from others as humanly possible and gazed at the decor of the dining area with fascination; and lastly, Mizuki fiddled with his food as if trying to decide if he had an appetite or not.

Naō ultimately chose to take a seat near Hattori, seeing as how he was the only one she had been acquainted with up until that morning. The ninja gave her a sparing glance then continued his vigil without even a grunt. She didn’t let it bother her since the ninja had a tendency to use very few words unless he was interested in a particular topic. Even so, this topic was one he may want to hear. “Hate to say it, but the emotions in here have become a lot muggier since yesterday.” She cast her own glance at the prone man. “Any idea why?”

He briefly met her gaze before glancing around the room with prodding eyes, trying to see through the armor everyone wore to hide their inner thoughts and feelings, then returned his gaze to Naō. “It is odd. Perhaps it was the mentions of the previous ‘game’ during the introduction that has made them so weary of each other and the conditions they have found themselves in,” he said.

She palmed her chin in thought. He wasn’t wrong: everyone had become either scared, angry, or sad at the mention of the past Killing Games despite the rousing words spoken by their chaperones. Everyone was on edge, waiting for something to go wrong. Waiting for the next game to begin. However there were a few like Ann Oakley who had remained completely positive despite the implications made. “Perhaps, but who knows for sure, right?” she stated cheerily.

Hattori stared at her before pushing himself off the wall and settled into a seat near her. “Enough with the false cheerfulness, Hoshino-san. It does not suit you.”

A shared glance caused their gazes to meet, then Naō found herself wondering if the emotions she felt were not those of the others, but her own.

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“Are the preparations almost ready? I’m tired of waiting for the fun to begin,” a sing-song voice sighed in the dark room.

Her partner turned to stare at her and smiled. “Won’t be much longer, ma’am. Try to be a little patient; the longer you wait, the more fun you’ll wind up having!” the voice assured.

She blinked and growled angrily. “Oh please, I just want them to fall into despair already! Forget patience, I want to see the blood fly like fireworks and their screams to be as loud as those on roller coasters. It really isn’t too much to ask, now is it?” Her partner nodded and began to work even faster than before. The girl looked at the brightly lit screen before her where rows of pictures revealed to her the people she had been waiting months to meet. “Not much longer now, then the true game can begin!”

Just above the row of pictures was a title decorated with an odd red mark.

**Project: Resurrection Despair**


End file.
